Memorial For Kasandra Perkins Takes Place In North Texas

BLUE RIDGE (CBSDFW.COM) – More than 200 friends and family of Kasandra Perkins gathered to memorialize the 22-year-old who was gunned down by her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, Jovan Belcher, 25.

Perkin’s North Texas family has asked for privacy since the tragic shooting, but after her funeral services, Perkin’s great uncle answered questions from the media. “She was a wonderful girl and memorialized well,” he said.

Family friends checked vehicles as visitors entered Ridgeview Family Fellowship church in Blue Ridge, about 50 miles from Dallas, ensuring privacy for the greiving family.

Downing said one of his favorite memories of his great niece was the silly nickname she gave him just a few months ago.

“Her brother referred to me as Aunt Ted for a long time and she said, ‘It’s time to exercise some diversity in this family so you’re Auntie Ted from now on,'” he said.

Perkins was a part of a diverse family.

“It’s our faith in the Lord that gets us through and the faith that we have in the Lord has nothing to do with color of skin or racial background or anything else,” Downing said. “We’re bound together around the Lord as a family.”

Downing said Perkins’ infant, 3 month-old Zoey was at the funeral in the care of family members. The NFL has pledged to financially support Zoey through her college years.

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt attended the funeral and offered his condolences to the family.

After the tragic shooting, Perkins became a national face for domestic violence, but family members said she was so much more.

“She was the quintessential happy person. Its hard to not picture Kasi smiling. She was always laughing. She liked to tease,” Downing said. “She’s just a happy girl who loved everybody and wanted everybody to love each other.”

A second memorial for Perkins will be held in Austin, where she will be laid to rest.